Phantom Thief on the High Seas
by ShinAyasaki
Summary: Riko is just a humble, desk-bound accountant with a simple and boring life and absolutely no desire to change that whatsoever. Well, it was nice while it lasted...


The clarion call of a nocturnal hunting bird cried out above the waterfront, the only disturbance to the natural ambiance of waves crashing against the shore as the moon illuminated the port town of Otonoki. The large clock tower in the center of the town rang out the hour, a full ten beats chiming from the heavy bronze bells as the mechanical timepiece worked its technological wonder.

The inhabitants of Otonoki cared little for the noise, most of the population either deep in slumber or deep in their cups at the various dockside taverns and gambling dens.

But within the largest dockside warehouse, a single soul looked up from her ink-stained parchments into the darkness of the office, mildly surprised to see her candles had almost consumed the entirety of the wick and wax.

"It's already so late," she muttered, rubbing her eyes in fatigue. Returning her quill to its inkwell, Riko pushed back from her desk and stood, stretching her body with a groan to ward off the lethargy that had set in over the hours of tallying goods and managing finances.

Being a secretary and accountant for the East Imperial Trading Company often meant late nights, but the redhead was content with her lot in life. Her work was meaningful, appreciated, and paid well enough to sponsor her artistic interests. Truly, this was the ideal lifestyle to suit her temperament.

"Hmm... I guess I can finish these in the morning," she considered. Her hands ordered the plethora of papers into neat stacks before plucking the well-used shawl that hung around her chair. She draped it over her shoulders in preparation for the night wind, readying a lamp to light her way home before blowing out her melted candles. After one last glance around the office, she took to the door and began walking downstairs, hand on the banister as she descended to ground level.

There was an unpleasant surprise waiting.

She stopped short as a thunk came from beyond the warehouse door. Riko froze and her ears caught the faintest of whispers conspiring in the night. That could only mean one thing: there were vagabonds afoot. Her eyes filled with fear at the realization, and with her heart thudding in her chest, Riko quietly scurried back up the stairs to her desk, trying her best to cover the lamp as she hid beneath the familiar wood object.

Now in a place of relative safety, she considered her situation. The warehouse was the only way out of the building. Or at least, the only way that didn't involve a hefty drop to the ground that might break a leg or two. And she couldn't possibly stay overnight. Not only was it against company policy, but she had to get home to water her lilies.

But there was no way she could get past them. She wasn't quick enough to run past them, nor was she stealthy enough to avoid detection. No, if she wanted to overcome those vagabonds, she needed an advantage, one that was tangible and empowering. But what?

She inhaled sharply as the answer came to her.

Emerging from beneath her desk, she went over to the corner of the office, to the nondescript hardwood case resting on the floor. Her hands twitching nervously, she fished out a set of office keys from her pocket, sticking a key into the case's lock and turning the tumblers. The lid raised up to reveal the sleek design of a prototype tri-barreled flintlock repeater pistol, straight from the research and development labs of Akasaka Armaments. From her understanding, there was no other.

Riko looked uncertainly at the flintlock pistol resting in the case, wondering if this was really such a good idea. Her mind flashed back to several hours ago to her boss's last words to her before departing.

"_Make sure to lock up before you leave. And don't touch this flintlock. If anything happens to it, I will hold you personally responsible. Get it?_"

The words struck a chord in her now, but these were extenuating circumstances. Surely her boss would understand if she took it for protection, right?

Her decision made, Riko grabbed the gun.

After a few minutes of tinkering with the various mechanisms and getting a feel for its weight, Riko took a deep breath as she descended once more to the warehouse and the vagabonds below.

Extinguishing her lamp, Riko waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. After a few minutes, the redhead found herself able to see quite a bit given the bright light of the full moon hanging overhead. Licking her lips nervously, she gripped the handle of the gun tightly and gently pushed open the door.

As she anticipated, the warehouse's main doors were open, providing ample lighting for what she was about to do.

Scurrying around the barrels and crates with stealth born of desperation, she managed to creep up to a pair of figures as they inspected one of the larger crates. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for what she was about to do.

Stepping out from the cover of a crate, she aimed her pistol at the duo and called out, "Hey!"

The pair of wannabe thieves startled and turned, and before Riko could demand they put their hands up, they also leveled their weapons at her. The redhead was unmoved as the first thief raised a humble slingshot, an iron ball pinched between two fingers ready to launch. Then her eyes widened and her face blanched in fear as she stared down the barrel of the second thief's mighty steam-powered harpoon gun.

It was at this point that Riko realized how badly she had messed up.

The trio stood in tense silence for several seconds before the first thief spoke up. "It seems we have a bit of a standoff here," she remarked.

Though her throat was dry, Riko found herself responding. "It certainly looks that way."

"Why don't we all put down the guns and talk this over?" suggested the second thief disarmingly.

Riko chewed her lip nervously. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not."

"That's fine," said the first thief, "That works just as well."

The redhead tilted her head. "What do you mean by that?"

WHACK!

A blunt object impacted with the back of her head, sending the accountant down to the warehouse floor, unconscious. The thieves sighed in relief as a third figure made herself known, stepping out of the shadows with an oversized wrench gripped in both hands.

"Thanks for the save Kanan-chan," smiled Chika as she wiped her brow.

Beside her, You nodded. "Yeah. That could have turned out really poorly for us," she added, lowering her harpoon gun.

"It still could," said Kanan with a frown. "Jeez... Didn't I tell you to make sure everyone left before robbing this place?"

"It's not my fault she's a workaholic," huffed Chika.

The blunette sighed. "Whatever. You two start carrying crates, I'll take care of her."

"Got it!" acknowledged the duo. Now feeling secure in their midnight operation, Chika and You each grabbed the side of a heavy crate and began lifting it onto a small wheeled trolley for transportation.

Kanan meanwhile, grabbed Riko's unconscious body and dragged her over to an empty crate before dumping her in, Hitman style.

* * *

Pain was the first sensation to run through Riko's muddled mind, an unwelcome mix from multiple sources. The most obvious and prominent of which was the pain in her head, a throbbing ache that was quite characteristic of either a hangover or being hit with a blunt object. The second source was the stiff aching in her limbs, something to be attributed to a poor night's rest, likely stemming from an improper sleeping position. The final origin of her agony was in her stomach as it tumbled and churned, waves of nausea threatening to overwhelm her.

Doing her best to force down the bile, Riko opened her eyes to behold darkness. Her face morphed into an expression of confusion before she began groping around in the darkness for a light. She became unnerved when her hands found nothing but wooden barriers holding her in her awkward position, and a sense of alarm began flaring up. Hands grasping at the walls and corners, Riko finally pushed upwards, sending the lid of the crate swinging over and exposing her to light.

Sharply inhaling at the unfamiliar ceiling, Riko took a few deep breaths to steady herself before sitting up. She looked around, noticing all the crates from her warehouse stacked haphazardly in unorganized piles and a glass porthole showing the blue sky and the open ocean, before looking down at the gun in her lap.

Memories of last night flooded back and realization set in.

And then, Riko did what felt natural. She screamed.

The next minute or so was a blur as Chika, You, and Kanan rushed into the cargo hold with weapons ready, each thinking one of their shipmates was in trouble. Riko brandished her own weapon before blanching at having You's harpoon gun trained on her yet again, and dropped the pistol in terrified silence. The pirates, meanwhile, were all wondering just how this girl had gotten onto their ship.

"...Hey, You-chan?" began Chika after a pause, "Do you think we grabbed the wrong box?"

"You sure did," affirmed Kanan casually as she looked over the crate's contents. Other than a terrified redhead, there was nothing in it. She frowned. "Wasn't this the box that was supposed to have all the mikans in it?"

"What?!" exclaimed Chika. "I thought you said to grab the box on the right!"

"No, I said the box on the left was right," corrected Kanan. She frowned. "In hindsight I really could have worded that better."

"So we left the mikans?!" shouted Chika in horror. She turned to You, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She sniffed. "You-chan..."

The brunette sighed expectantly and held out her arms for a hug. "It's okay, Chika-chan," she said as the ginger accepted the embrace. "There'll be other mikans out there for us to eat."

"Chika-chan, You-chan, don't forget about our reluctant passenger now," chided Kanan.

Although she was still hugging You, Chika leaned back just enough to get a glance at the redhead sitting in the crate. "Hey! Wanna be a pirate?"

Riko shook her head no.

"Aww... Oh well. Then I guess we have to take her back."

"R-Really?! You'll take me back?"

"Sure! We're pirates, not kidnappers."

"Is it really a good idea to go back to a place we just robbed?" asked Kanan. "Why don't we just drop her off at the next port and give her some money for a ride back?"

"The next port is quite a way away," said You, still hugging Chika. "And we don't actually have enough money for passage back to Otonoki."

"And we can get the mikans!" chirped Chika.

The blunette sighed in acquiescence. She didn't much care for Chika's reasoning but You's argument was sound. "Alright then. I guess we're going back."

* * *

The journey back to Otonoki was tense yet uneventful, Riko spending the time nervously fidgeting with her unloaded gun while You and Chika stood guard. Despite their numerous attempts to make small talk, the redhead preferred to keep to herself, choosing to listen as the pirates engaged in their own playful banter. Riko couldn't help but notice that their back and forth sounded like something out of the books she enjoyed.

After they pulled into port and settled docking arrangements, Riko took her first few steps off the ship and onto dry land. She stopped to admire her home and almost fell over, the transition from sea to land catching her off balance. Thankfully, a strong hand clasped her arm and kept her upright.

"Riko-chan, are you okay?" asked You, concern glimmering in her azure eyes.

The accountant stabilized herself with You's support, responding with a nod. "Just... getting used to being back on land again."

The brunette hummed in understanding. "Here. Let me be your escort," she offered. She saw Riko about to turn her down and quickly added, "Just until we get to one of the main streets." She offered her arm with a disarming smile.

Riko looked at her before cautiously accepting with a nod. She linked an arm with You and they began walking, Chika and Kanan behind them.

They made their way down the wooden platforms of the waterfront, passing sailors and dockworkers as they headed to the nearest cobblestone street. Though it was good to be home, Riko couldn't help but notice the odd glances aimed at her by the passersby. Surely a humble accountant on her homecoming wouldn't draw this much attention.

It was only when the others stopped short that Riko finally found out why she was getting so many weird looks. She turned to ask why they'd stopped, when she saw it.

Plastered on the outdoor notice board of a local pub was a freshly printed poster, one that bore Riko's exact likeness. At the top was a single word in bold black font: WANTED. Below her picture was the following: Riko "Phantom Thief" Sakurauchi; Wanted - Alive; Crimes - Theft, Petty Theft, Grand Theft, Theft of Commercial Property, Mass Theft of Commercial Property; Bounty - 30,000 Marks.

Riko felt the color drain from her face.

"Wha... wha..."

"Did... did they attribute our crimes to you?" asked You in surprise.

"It certainly looks that way," remarked Kanan quietly.

Just then, a pair of dockworkers approached. Their eyes flashed from the bounty poster to the group of women, interpreting You's offer of escort as a simple but effective way of restraining her. "Well, well, well. You certainly caught the Phantom Thief quickly!" said one of them approvingly.

The other nodded. "It's nice to have some competent professionals around to help the local watchmen keep a handle on crime. If you don't already know, the bounty office is just over that way." The two walked away, continuing their conversation as they went into the pub.

The three pirates looked to Riko, the redhead's face having gone dangerously pale. Her grip on You's arm was quite tight and causing the brunette considerable discomfort.

"Riko-chan?" probed You quietly. "We're not going to hand you over for something you didn't do."

Slowly, the redhead turned her head to her escort. "You... you're not?"

Beside her, Chika nodded. "Yeah. We're pirates, not conwomen."

"It's the right thing to do," nodded Kanan. She paused. "Well. The rightest thing we're willing to do." After all, the true right thing to do would be to turn themselves in and clear Riko's name, which was something they were very unwilling to do. They were pirates, not saints.

"So... what do I do?" asked Riko helplessly.

"I guess you're one of us now," said Chika simply. "Welcome to the crew!"

Riko let out a choked wail of suffering.

"We should leave. Now. Before we attract any more attention," said Kanan.

"What?! But...! But the mikans!" protested Chika.

"Chika-chan, it's not safe for us to be here, especially now that Riko-chan has a Wanted! poster," said You.

Next to her, Kanan nodded in agreement. "We got her into this mess, so now we have to help keep her out of this mess." She turned to go back to the ship. "I'll re-fire up the engine," she informed, "We'll be good to go in a few, so pick up any essentials quickly."

"Right. We'll grab some nautical charts and join you shortly," stated You. She began to lead the redhead away. "Come on, Riko-chan. Let's go shopping."

All then it was just Chika, standing alone along the waterfront in despair as her plan to acquire mikans went up in smoke. "Mikan..." she sniffed sadly.

She began the walk back to the ship, albeit at a much slower pace than Kanan, when her foot impacted against a heavy wooden object. She looked up to see a barrel filled to the brim with mikan. She looked around, seeing that the area had cleared out for the moment, and an idea hatched in her brain.

A few minutes later, a watchman came around to see a missing barrel of fruit along with a message written in chalk along a wooden plank. The message read: PHANTOM THIEF.

And that was how Riko got an extra thousand marks added to her bounty.

**~END~**

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**AN: Well, this is certainly different. The overall setting is best summed up as Steam Powered Pirate AU. This was originally a part of a much larger idea I had, one that included all the Aqours girls as they came together to form the Sunshine Pirates. But long stories are hard, so I settled on this instead. :P**


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